Well Coley Wallace for starters...... Marciano won 49 pro fights maybe, but he did not win 49 straight fights.
Some of those Robinson beat on is 91 winning run. Cecil Hudson Sammy Angott Izzy Janazzo Henry Armstrong Steve Belloise Bobo Olson Jose Basora Georgie Abrams Kid Gavilan Bernard Docusen Charley Fusari George Costner Aaron Wade Tommy Bell Artie Levine Jake Lamotta Cyrille Dellanoit Holley Mims Robert Villemain
Marciano won all his pro fights [49] .I am at a loss as to where you are coming from ? Marcano lost an amateur fight to Wallace ,what has that to do with this thread?
Sorry to break it to you but Marciano had 49 PRO fights for 49 WINS, no losses and no draws. Here's one reference to the fact www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9032&cat=boxer and a search in any boxing book or the internet will also confirm the fact.
To the guys not getting the Marciano thing: in those days a fighter was allowed to jump between being a pro and being an amateur. So Marciano started his pro career, won a couple of fights (four I think), then went back to being an amateur, where he had losses. I wouldn't count it, since pros are still pros and amateurs still amateurs, but *shrug* :huh You don't think that Marciano's record is padded, or filled with either sub-prime or post-prime opposition?
There's a degree of padding in most fight records - good management usually ensures there's at least a 'soft' start to most fight careers. It's where the padding outweighs the 'real' contests that the cred and respect suffers as a consequence. Add Jimmy Barry 80 odd fights (in the 1890's) and Jack McAuliffe 70 odd fights (in the 1880's & 90's) to Marciano as pro fighters who won world titles and retired undefeated. There have probably been better individual fighters over time than these particular guys, and certainly some who've strung more wins in a row together, however, IMO these guys achievements are absolutely outstanding.
As we know, many pros old and new had amateur experience. Some of the great pros actually had comparitively disappointing amateur careers. But this is never used by anyone knowledable in the sport to detract from the greatness those fighters achieved in the pro ranks.
Marciano did not win 49 straight fights, he lost fights between his official first and second pro bouts, at best Marciano won 48 straight.......
I would agree, but Marciano is the exception to prove the rule, as a big plank of his greatness is the alleged 49 straight wins, that were not so, because he turned pro and then lost fights.....
Marciano does not need the and 0 to defend himself, as long as we have the Charles fights, and the Walcott's and the Moore bout on tape/DVD, Marciano is always rightly going to be someone to talk about, he was brilliant.... But the fact is, he did lose fights, fights he was paid for, very, very early in his career. Fights at the time that meant little, but sadly went on to mean quite a lot, because the fancy doubted what they saw in front them. Lacking confidence in their man they felt/feel the need to defend the Brockton Blockbuster by bring up an and 0 record, that is a half truth and beneath what Rocky is.